Greta Thunberg has been detained by police during an environmental protest in a German village.
The Swedish activist, 20, travelled to western Germany to join locals protesting against the demolition of the village of Lützerath to make way for a coal mine expansion.
During the demonstration, there were clashes with the police and several activists ran over to the Garzweiler open pit mine, according to German news agency dpa.
They stood at the brink of the open pit, which has a sharp break-off edge.
Police said it was dangerous and people were prohibited from staying there.
Thunberg was one of several protesters carried away by police from the mine's edge in the afternoon, dpa reported.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28979313.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_PAY-Demonstration-near-Garzweiler-open-pit-mine.jpg)
One protester was able to enter the mine, RWE said, calling the move “very reckless,” dpa said.
Police and RWE started evicting protesters from Lützerath on January 11, removing roadblocks, chopping down treehouses and bulldozing buildings.
Activists have cited the symbolic importance of Lützerath for years, and thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday against the razing of the village by RWE for the expansion of the Garzweiler coal mine.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28979422.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_PAY-Demonstration-near-Garzweiler-open-pit-mine.jpg)
The protests in several locations in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia came a day after the last two climate activists holed up in a tunnel beneath the village of Lützerath left the site.
Dozens of climate activists glued themselves to a main street in Germany's western city of Cologne and to a state government building in Düsseldorf.
Near Rommerskirchen, a group of about 120 activists also occupied the coal railroad tracks to the Neurath power plant, according to police and energy company RWE.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28979434.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_PAY-Demonstration-near-Garzweiler-open-pit-mine.jpg)
Those who refused to leave the tracks were carried away, dpa reported.
In addition, several people occupied a giant digger at the coal mine of Inden, while hundreds of other protesters joined a protest march near Lützerath.
It is the second time in two days that Greta is carried away by German police after she was detained during another coal-mine demonstration on Sunday.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28979436.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Police-take-measures-as-Swedish-activist-Greta-Thunberg-joins-Lutzerath-activists.jpg)
According to German publication Bild, Greta refused to move away from a mound of earth and was seen smiling as she was physically picked up by police officers.
Several violent clashes broke out between protesters on Saturday, with reports saying pepper spray was fired by police.
Ahead of the weekend's protests Greta tweeted: "We are currently in Lützerath, a German village threatened to be demolished for an expansion of a coal mine.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28979294.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Police-take-measures-as-Swedish-activist-Greta-Thunberg-joins-Lutzerath-activists.jpg)
"People have been resisting for years. This Saturday 14/1 I will join activists in Lützerath to defend the village and stop the coalmine. Join us at 12.00 to protect life, and put people over profit!
"The science is clear, the most affected people are clear: no more fossil fuels!"